Scenes of Torture
by Pearl Bramble of Willowbottom
Summary: The last thing Miracle expected was for her wish to come true.  But, through a horrible disaster, it did.  Now, Miracle is part of the Care Bear family.  When No Heart uses Miracle's autobiography against those she loves, can she save them in time?
1. Chapter 1

Scenes of Torture, a Care Bear Fan Fiction Story.

Author's Note: This storyline has been in my head for about a year or two and begs to be written, so here it goes. Oh, yeah, and for those of you who are reading my story featuring the Pevensie children from the Chronicles of Narnia series, my protagonist isn't exactly the same one as in that story.

Disclaimer: If I owned the Care Bears, then there would be more of a focus on the Caring Missions than there are. The Caring Missions would be about the Care Bears helping all kinds of people through all kinds of problems, not just kids. Obviously, the Care Bear TV show never took Caring Missions this far, which proves that I don't own, or claim ownership to these wonderful creatures. American Greeting Cards and Those Characters from Cleveland do.

Chapter One

A Wish to Help

Miracle sat with her back to the backboard of her dorm bed with tears streaming down her cheeks. Ever since she was six years old, Miracle wanted to have a job that helped people. She knew that she wanted to be a writer, but unless if she made it big suddenly like J.K. Rowling did, she'd be dirt poor. The problem was, Miracle's only talent was writing. That wasn't the only reason she was crying, though.

Even though Miracle had four friends she'd made since starting college, which helped relieve the intense loneliness she felt during her elementary, middle, and high school years, she still felt empty. Being with her four friends helped to push back the loneliness for a few seconds, but then she'd got back to feeling like she wasn't part of the group.

"I wish I could have a career that helps people and allows me to make enough money to support myself. But I wish more than anything else to feel part of a group of best friends," Miracle choked out through her sobs.

Miracle felt some trepidation in speaking her wish out loud, fearing what the consequences. The last times she wished for something to happen to her were when she wanted some adventure and excitement in her life. The results of these wishes were to watch her one best friend she met at camp attempt suicide, and see her dad pass out at al wedding due to food poisoning.

But, because Miracle wasn't wishing for an adventure or any excitement in her life, she highly doubted that these wishes would come true, even though she put her heart into the effort. After all, Miracle had known loneliness since she was six, rejection since she was three. What made her think the downward spiral or life was going would change?


	2. Chapter 2: Fire!

Author's Note: Angst in this chapter and in some others, just to warn you.

Chapter Two

Fire!

As the siren wailed right outside Miracle's friend's doorway, she sighed in annoyance and grabbed her purse. Fire drills were a frequent occurrence in the dormitory she shared with her friend, and who her other friend was visiting with. As usual, Miracle felt annoyed that yet another college freshman didn't know how to use a microwave. She knew how to safely heat up food in the microwave since she was in middle school!

That's when Miracle began to smell thick smoke. Coughing, Miracle made her way to the door and cautiously opened it. Fire blocked the stairs, roaring toward her room. Remembering that there were stairs on the other side of the hallway, Miracle ran in front of the hallway, praying that her lungs wouldn't give way from the smoke entering her body.

Just as Miracle opened the door and started down the stairs, one of her feet refused to move, making her body spiral downward. Seeing a repeat of floor and ceiling, and feeling her body hit each step, Miracle realized that she was falling down the stairs. After what felt like an hour, even though it was only a few minutes, Miracle finally crashed to a stop on the floor.

Coughing and wincing at the pain around her ribcage, Miracle opened her eyes to have them blurred by smoke. A few seconds later, pain flared on her ribs as two people ran over her to get out of the building. Miracle blurrily made out the forms of her friends as they raced down the hall, not listening to her weak calls.

Why even try getting out of here, Miracle wondered. My friends have left me behind, no one would miss me, and I'm too weak to stand up, Miracle thought as weakness overtook her body. But, I have to try, I can at least still crawl toward the door, it's not that far.

Lifting her upper body with her hands, Miracle started crawling toward the door. In seconds, Miracle's head was submerged in a cloud of smoke, making her drop to the ground and cough so hard that she feared one of her lungs would rush up her throat and out of her mouth into her hand. Miracle lay on the ground, cursing her choice of not taking the house fire practical test with everyone else, all because of her lung condition.

"So, this is how I die," Miracle gasped between coughs.

"Miracle, thank goodness I found you," a caring voice that sounded familiar, spoke.

"Leave me alone," Miracle began, but she was interrupted by her own coughing.

"C'mon, let's get out of here," the voice spoke again, not replying to hsd last comment. Miracle could barely make out a red bear shape with a red heart on its white stomach. The bear pulled Miracle by her arms as her vision began to blur even more than it had before, making colors run together.

Why was this figment of my imagination even trying, Miracle wondered as she felt herself losing consciousness. We'll never make it to the door, anyway.


	3. Chapter 3: Misunderstood Emotional Pain

Chapter Three: Misunderstood Emotional Pain

Author's Note: Sorry I'm late in continuing this story, I've been very busy lately pursuing a graduate degree and taking care of my own apartment, lately. Major angst and an idea of what will happen in later chapters, or at least a hint of one in this chapter; maybe I should change the genre to hurt/comfort and angst instead of hurt/comfort and family with the way this story's going.

Miracle woke up to the sound of a machine beside her, beeping loudly and an oxygen mask around her face. 'I hate hospitals,' Miracle thought as she slowly opened her eyes. Moving around slightly, Miracle winced at the stiff, aching feeling that was coursing all over different parts of her body.

"She's awake! Thank the stars you're alright!" a cream colored bear with tufts of pink and purple fur, like hair standing on end, rushed over to Miracle and hugged her tightly. Miracle winced as all of the sore spots on her body flared with pain from falling down the stairs.

Wrapping her arms slowly around True Heart's back, Miracle gripped the cream colored bear's fur, to make sure she was real. It had been a very long time since she'd heard this voice, not since she was eight and used to watch the only Care Bears movie she owned, Care Bears 2: A New Generation.

Realizing that the wish she'd given up on when she was eleven had finally come true, fourteen years too late, Miracle felt her chest tighten and her eyes blur with tears. Why didn't they come? Her mind screamed, after all of that time, why did the Care Bears show up now?

"We were so worried about you! We thought we'd lost you! Share Bear, Wish Bear and Tenderheart barely pulled you out of the wreckage before the building collapsed!" True Heart added in a concerned, motherly voice, as Miracle refused to let go of her when True Heart attempted to extract herself from the hug, holding the mother-like founder closer. Hearing those words and guessing they were alone, Miracle allowed the tightness in her chest to break apart as she burst into tears.

"Why didn't you come, _why didn't you ever come?_ **After all of this time, why did you come now!** _**Why didn't you ever help me when I most needed you?!**_" Miracle screamed through her sobs as her chest felt like it was being split and ripped wide open from the pain she was feeling inside her heart.

"We tried, but we had to help put out the fire then look for survivors. It took a while to find you after we searched for the other students," True Heart explained, rocking Miracle slightly back and forth and rubbing her back.

True Heart didn't really understand what Miracle was really asking, which showed that the motherly founder didn't know Miracle or her past at all! It felt like someone was beating Miracle's heart until it was nothing but a bloody pulp of oozing blood and pieces of garbage. Miracle couldn't help but scream even louder as this painful feeling consumed all but one thought that replayed over and over in her mind. _**Why didn't anyone in the Care Bear Family help me through the most agonizing moments in my life! **_


	4. Chapter 4: False Comfort

Chapter Four: False Comfort

"What's the matter with her?"

"Is she hurt?"

"What's wrong?"

"Why's she crying, Grams?"

Voices surrounded Miracle as she continued to sob on True Heart's shoulder. It felt as if the voices and the bodies these voices belonged to were closing in on her, surrounding her. To make matters worse, these voices belonged to people she'd never met before, no matter how many times she'd seen the movie.

Miracle clung to True Heart even tighter, mentally begging the founder to save her from the judgments that would surely come her way once they saw her crying, especially since they didn't know the reason why. Admiring people from afar and meeting them up close are two different things all together. It's one thing to cry in front of friends and family members that know the person is upset, it's quite another to let emotions and vulnerability hang out right in front of them to dismiss and criticize.

Feeling like ice was seeping into and around her heart, Miracle sobbed harder, continuing to scream when the beating like pain in her heart got too much for her. 'Make them go away, please make them go away!' Miracle thought desperately as she began wailing by now.

"Give Miracle some space everyone, you all can visit her four at a time once she's calmed down enough to talk to you," Tenderheart spoke up, as the feeling of bodies pressing close to her lessened. Miracle gave Tenderheart the thumbs up sign behind True Heart's back, relieved that he was gently pushing everyone but himself, the founders and rescuers out of the room.

In all truth, Miracle didn't want any visitors. What if the founders and her rescuers got too busy for her? What if the people who she thought were her friends left her out? What if the others started asking questions? Especially why she was crying? How would Miranda explain to anyone how hurt she felt that no one helped her in the times during her life when she most needed them?

"It's ok, everything's going to be okay," True Heart whispered in Miracle's ear as she continued to rub Miracle's upper back in gentle circles. Miracle was comforted by True Heart's touching gesture, but her words made Miracle burst into tears all over again, just as her body was settling down.

"No…it's not okay…everything's not okay!" Miracle gasped in between tears as it felt like the broken pieces of her heart that were slowly placing themselves back together broke apart yet again.

"Not right now it's not but it will be," True Heart encouraged. This sentence began to calm Miracle down. After a few minutes, Miracle slowly pulled away from True Heart, who began to dab her eyes with a Kleenex and allow her to blow her nose on another one.

"Thanks for comforting me," Miracle sniffed, finally reigning in her emotions.

"There's no need to thank me, it's what we Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins do, help others to share their feelings and care about people."

Miracle lay back onto her pillow and turned on her side to hide the tears that came into her eyes once again. 'If only you'd done that for me sooner,' Miracle thought as tears blurred her vision. An ache held onto Miracle's heart as she curled up into a ball.

"You must be tired, get some rest," True Heart encouraged Miracle gently as she tucked the covers close to the young woman and brushed the hair off of her forehead. True Heart then walked out of the room, shooing the others out in the process, turned off the light, and gently shut the door.

Just like most times when in a new bed that wasn't her own, Miracle couldn't sleep that night. She guessed it was also because she slept for the rest of the day, not counting the times she ate meals. Figuring that watching TV could help her sleep, Miracle turned on the small television in front of her bed. In hindsight, Miracle wished she'd never chosen to watch the news that night.

"A terrorist attack has just struck the hotel before the funeral of Miracle Smith could take place. No one has been found alive," the newscaster announced as moving images of an explosion and what looked like crash test dummies built to look like Miracle's family and friends were dragged out by people from the fire department.

With growing horror, Miracle discovered that those crash test dummies were her actual family and friends! The ice that was in Miracle's heart earlier that day reformed and now spread to her brain and the rest of her body as Miracle realized that everyone she'd ever currently truly loved and cared about, were now dead. As the icy grip of fear changed to soul ripping hurt, Miracle let out a heart rending scream of pain the likes of which she hadn't uttered since four years earlier.


	5. Chapter 5: Temporary Comfort

Chapter Five

Temporary Comfort

Before Miracle knew what was happening, soft, warm arms circled around her. Miracle clung to whoever was hugging her and let out another scream, just as excruciating as the last. Tears blurred her vision and made small rivers down her cheeks as the ripping, beating feeling in her heart returned, only this time, consuming her very thoughts except for the fact that her family and friends were now dead.

"I'm here," a warm, male voice whispered in Miracle's ear. "I'm right here, I won't leave you. I'll stay with you. You aren't alone." Miracle recognized the voice as Tenderheart's and shivered slightly as she wondered if Tenderheart would be as possessive, controlling and jealous as men she'd heard about who dated nice, vulnerable women.

"What happened?" True Heart gasped as Miracle heard her rush into the room. Miracle gripped Tenderheart's fur on his back and barely kept from screaming again, making a strangled moan instead.

"Miracle's family and friends were just killed, I'm trying to comfort her," Tenderheart explained in a low voice to True Heart.

"Oh the poor girl," True Heart replied pityingly.

Miracle let out a choked sob at this. It was hard enough to cry in front of someone she'd just met, showing her most vulnerable side while doing so, it felt even worse to be pitied for letting out her emotions.

"Is everything alright? I heard screaming," A voice Miracle had never heard before asked.

"Miracle has just lost her-" True Heart began, but Miracle struggled against Tenderheart's embrace, desperate to get away from all three of them so that she wouldn't have to hear the pity in this Care Bear's voice, too. Tenderheart gripped Miracle slightly tighter, to keep her from falling off the bed.

Miracle stopped struggling, feeling her energy drain very fast. All Miracle could do now was wail to express the grief that assaulted her repeatedly for what felt to her like an hour. Thirty minutes later, Miracle slumped against Tenderheart in a daze, her energy now completely spent.

The unfamiliar bear who spoke earlier and Tenderheart gently laid Miracle back onto the bed, while True Heart again tucked her in. Miracle stared blankly at each bear, all of them with eyes shining from concern. Turning onto her side and hugging her knees to her chest, Miracle swallowed thickly as her stomach churned.

The moment Miracle heard the three Care Bears leave the room and the door click shut, she grabbed the bedpan and bent over it, feeling herself expel the last three meals she ate. Gulping and swallowing weakly, Miracle hid the bedpan underneath her bed, sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, and rocked herself back and forth until she lay back on her bed and fell asleep.

Author's Note: I'm sorry that this chapter's so short, the others will be longer, I promise.


	6. Chapter 6: Help and Hope

Chapter Six

Help and Hope

Author's Note: Hey guys, I've been sick for the past couple of days-yes while writing this story, maybe sickness causes drama, I seem to get more writing done when I'm sick even when I have a couple of days off, go figure-but am now getting better, I hope. Anyway, this chapter's a bit longer than the others. To reply to your reviews since the review section won't let me, Guest-Like I said before, I had a lot going on last year but now have some time to devote to writing fan fiction. So I'm taking that time to keep on writing this story. Obviously Entei, after everything we go through in our lives as we grow up, we are never as whole as we were back when we were in preschool. I probably just complicated your comment. Anyway, it'll take quite a while for Miracle to be "Okay" but she'll get there eventually. In this chapter, Miracle begins meeting the rest of the Care Bears, though not quite in the way she expected.

'I hate hospitals,' Miracle thought as she woke up the next morning to the irritatingly incessant beeping. 'But it could be worse, I could be stuck in here for four days and four nights straight with the worst sore throat in the world or continuously throwing up because some well meaning doctors and nurses gave me too much sleeping medicine despite the fact that I told them what my height and weight were before starting surgery,' Miracle thought optimistically, remembering the times she got her tonsils out when she was eight and her wisdom teeth removed the year before.

"Good morning Miracle, here's your breakfast," an orange bear whose voice Miracle recognized from yesterday announced cheerfully.

"Thanks, I'm sorry but I don't know your name," Miracle apologized, taking a sip of orange juice.

"Oh, my name's Take Care Bear, I'm the family's doctor, psychiatrist and psychologist here in Care-A-Lot and the Forest of Feelings," Take Care explained.

"I think I'm going to need a psychiatrist very soon," Miracle muttered dryly, beginning to wonder if losing her family has made her delusional to think that she was now in Care-A-Lot meeting the Care Bears and the Care Bear Cousins.

"After breakfast I'll take your blood pressure and check you over one last time, hopefully you'll go home today!" Take Care exclaimed happily.

"Where's home?" Miracle asked, blankly. Miracle had been living in the dorms at college when she wasn't at her parents' house on the weekend, so it wasn't like she had a place to live.

"Well, you can live here and be part of the Care Bear family!" Take Care smiled as Miracle continued eating the cafeteria like food of oatmeal, toast and blueberries.

'Who says I want to, that sounds depressing,' Miracle thought as she pushed her tray away.

"Okay, it's time to take your blood pressure, now this won't hurt a bit," Take Care encouraged as she grabbed the arm cuff and pump.

"I know it won't I'm used to having my blood pressure taken," Miracle explained, holding her arm out expertly.

"Well that's good, most of the time I practice on kids who have to go to the doctor's office for the first time, that way they won't fear their checkups," Take Care smiled, wrapping the cuff around Miracle's right arm and squeezing the pump.

Miracle snorted incredulously, remembering when she once watched a Barney the Dinosaur episode about not being afraid of checkups and not believing the play acting when Barney tried to make it seem like shots didn't hurt. Miracle also remembered how her mom would exclaim that Miracle acted like her leg was being cut off when she was given a shot. Miracle would always say that her mom's guess was pretty close. In all truth, it always felt like someone was suddenly jabbing her leg with a knife. But reliving these memories only reminded Miracle that her mother, her whole family was dead.

"Now don't you worry, we'll have you out of here in no time at all," Take Care encouraged, mistaking Miracles tear filled eyes for fear of spending another night in her clinic as she checked Miracle's ears and nostrils.

"Ok, I'll just listen to your heart with my stethoscope and you can be on your way," Take Care announced, putting the ear pieces in her white furred ears.

Miracle nodded and breathed in and out deeply, wondering if because the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins worked mostly with kids, they treated every human they came into contact with like a child.

"Well, you're physically healthy but before you go, someone was sent here on a Caring Mission," Take Care added, scribbling and checking some things off on a clipboard.

"Really? Who?" Miracle asked, relieved that Take Care pulled the IV stuck in Miracle's left arm gently so that it didn't feel like a knife was being pulled out of it, unlike when she was released from the hospital at eight years old.

"Why don't you go and see, he's in the waiting room," Take Care replied, handing Miracle the same clothes she wore yesterday, now washed.

"Ok, thanks," Miracle replied as Take Care walked out of the hospital room and shut the door. Miracle felt slightly surprised that she was the center of a Caring Mission so fast, but then again, the announcement of her family's death was probably also on the morning news.

"Hi, I'm Tenderheart, we met yesterday. I'm your friend and I've come to help you share your feelings," the small, auburn colored bear smiled as Miracle walked into the waiting room.

Although Miracle was relieved that it was Tenderheart who came to help her and not someone more intimidating, like Brave Heart Lion, she still felt annoyed that she was being given the typical Care Bear speech instead of say, offered condolences and being assured that the two of them could talk, sit quietly, or leave each other alone, whichever she chose. Besides, wasn't Tenderheart fourteen years too late to make that kind of announcement?

"Do you know what it's like to lose everyone you've ever cared about all at once?" Miracle asked, bitterly.

"Well, no, but I know talking about your feelings will make you feel better," Tenderheart encouraged, sounding taken aback by Miracle's question.

Miracle winced at Tenderheart's statement, remembering when she once said that she knew her friend needed her, even though she didn't know how her friend felt. Oh Miracle was so naïve back then, she wondered if everyone around her were as naïve as she was at fourteen. 'And here I thought they'd heard everything with as many Caring Missions these bears and cousins have done over the years,' Miracle mentally sighed to herself, realizing that these people must be naïve to be taken aback by her question. But all the same, Miracle was touched at Tenderheart's gentle persuasion.

"It will take time for you to heal, but it will get better," Tenderheart added. Miracle just nodded, lapsing into silence. Her mind then turned to the practicality of her situation to avoid feeling any strong negative emotions; she could deal with those later. There was so much to plan! There were the funerals, sorting the stuff left behind to decide what should be kept and what should be given away, the finances to arrange, the wills to check (if any were made out), and these new bears and cousins to get used to. This would take days to figure out, weeks even, or months!

"If you need any help, just let me know," Tenderheart spoke up when Miracle didn't answer for a few minutes.

"Tenderheart, I need some help sorting through my family's material possessions," Miracle admitted, swallowing her pride.

"Hey, that's a great idea, then we can set up your house much quicker!"

"You're setting up a house for me?" Miracle asked in surprise.

"Well, you're going to live with us and be part of the Care Bear family aren't you?"

"I, I don't know, I haven't decided, yet. I guess I could live here for right now until I can find another place on earth to stay that isn't a dorm or my parents' house."

"All right! Now let's get started cleaning that house! I'll call all of the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins to come and help!" Tenderheart exclaimed, racing off to the Hall of Hearts.

'For being named Tenderheart, he certainly isn't very sensitive to other people's feelings, at least those who just lost their whole family,' Miracle thought bitterly. 'But then again, he's probably just happy that I'm moving into Care-A-Lot! But then again, you'd think he'd have more experience in dealing with people who've just lost their family. Hopefully the others will be more considerate of my feelings. At least he tried to help me open up, in the beginning, and that's all that really matters, I suppose.'

Following Tenderheart, Miracle noticed that Care-A-Lot looked a lot like how the movies and TV shows portrayed it, full of cloud made buildings and roads, with rainbows as bridges. Miracle tried to figure out logically how one could walk on clouds, which felt like fluffy ground, or walk across a rainbow, which was like an arched glass road and not fall through, since both were made of air, but only felt more confused than before. Deciding not to dwell on this too much for the moment, at least, Miracle opened the red, heart shaped door of a large, heart shaped, pink colored building.

"Wow, these people sure do like hearts," Miracle murmured, staring at the large, heart shaped table and heart shaped chairs around it.

"Miracle, you're just in time to meet the Care Bear family before we head out to clean your parents house!" Tenderheart announced from the head of the table, putting the gavel he was holding down on the red table.

As Tenderheart spoke, everyone around the table turned around to stare at Miracle, who'd just walked through the door. Not expecting this sudden shift of attention onto herself, Miracle stood there, feeling very awkward. The eyes staring back at Miracle were friendly and curious, which began to put Miracle at ease. Then everyone rushed up to her.

"Hi, I'm Brave Heart and leader of the Care Bear Cousins!" Brave Heart Lion exclaimed, shaking Miracle's hand excitedly.

"Umm…Miracle, nice to meet you," Miracle replied, taken aback my Brave Heart's abrupt enthusiasm.

"Hi! I'm Cheer Bear, here to cheer you up and make you smile!" Cheer yelled in a hyperactive, happy voice.

'Are you on a sugar rush or are you always this exuberant? _What's wrong with you? How can you be this hyperactively happy all the time?!_' Miracle thought, though she didn't say this out loud, deciding in future to keep as far away from Cheer as she could.

"So, Miracle, have you come to Care-A-Lot as part of a Care Bear Mission? I know you've been staying in Take Care's Clinic for a couple of days since Tenderheart saved you from that fire in the college dorm," Brave Heart continued.

"Actually, Miracle was thinking of living here and becoming a part of the Care Bear family!" Tenderheart exclaimed.

"You are?" Share Bear asked.

"I think that's a great idea! You can be a part of us!" Brave Heart exclaimed, slapping Miracle on the back of her shoulders, right where her tense spots were, making her stumble and wince.

"We've never had a human as part of our family before, what will we call her? We can't say she's a Care Bear because she isn't a bear and we can't call her a Care Bear Cousin because she isn't an animal," Bright Heart Raccoon remarked.

"How do we know she won't just go back to earth where she came from?" Grumpy asked, well, grumpily.

This started two arguments from both sides of the room.

"Now wait a minute!" Tenderheart exclaimed, trying to get everyone calmed back down.

"This is going to be a _long_ day," Miracle sighed, before devising a way to get everyone's attention all at once. Obviously, Miracle couldn't scream like most other people could, because of her soft spoken voice. But, she could use her theatrical horror scream. Smiling briefly at Tenderheart, Miracle began making herself feel fearful and hyperventilate.

"Miracle, are you alright?" Tenderheart asked, rushing over to her, which proved difficult because he had to push past arguing family members to get to Miracle in the first place.

Ignoring Tenderheart for the moment, and waving him off so that the bear wouldn't go deaf, Miracle let out a low scream, the kind that makes one jump and sends chills down the spine; everything stopped as the whole crowd turned to stare at Miracle in shock.

"Works every time," Miracle grinned, before clearing her throat and focusing on why she had followed Tenderheart to the Hall of Hearts to begin with.

"Ahem, I just want you all to help me clean my house, arrange funerals and sort wills and taxes since my family's died and all and I can't get it all done in a day by myself, much less a week. We can argue about whether I'm a Care Bear or a Care Bear Cousin later."

"Well what are we waiting for? CHARGE!" Brave Heart Lion yelled, running toward the front doors along with everyone else. Without any warning, Miracle found herself flattened, kicked and stomped on by about thirty or more Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins.

"Are you alright, Miracle?" Tenderheart asked, finally showing some real concern for the young woman's well being.

"I have just been stampeded by your family _after getting beaten up by the dorm stairs_ **and gotten released from the hospital thanks to my COPD**," Miracle growled in a low voice, beginning to lose her long endured patience. "_**DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M ALRIGHT!**_"

"And don't get me started on how I have to put up with you all," Miracle grumbled under her breath, shivering at how exuberant everyone was just now as she began to stomp out of the Hall of Hearts.

"Are you coming?" Miracle demanded, turning around when she didn't hear Tenderheart following her.

Tenderheart just stood there, hanging his head. Looking closely, Miracle saw tears leaking down his furred cheeks. 'Well, I guess Tenderheart _is_ known as being sensitive for a reason,' Miracle thought in realization. Guilt washed over Miracle at how she was behaving. Walking over to Tenderheart, Miracle bent down onto her knees so that the two were face to face.

"The truth is, I'm just stressed from everything that's happening to me, but that gives me no right to take it out on you. Can you forgive me?" Miracle asked, hoping that he would.

"Tenderheart?" Miracle asked, wondering if the auburn colored bear heard her. Miracle did, after all, have a soft spoken voice. That's when she heard him make loud convulsive gasps as more tears streamed down his face. Now Miracle felt the guilt spread, as well as feeling the familiar prick of freezing iciness in her heart. Miracle never knew what to do when someone cried, and when she did try to comfort someone who was grieving she usually stuck her foot in her mouth. So, she always found comforting a person who was in tears awkward, intimidating and nerve wracking.

Remember what always settled her when she was upset, Miracle opened her arms and Tenderheart leaned into them, sobbing on her shoulder. Wrapping her arms gently around Tenderheart, Miracle began rubbing her hands up and down his back, whispering reassurances to the bear.

"Is everything alright? We noticed you weren't following us to the cloud cars," Brave Heart remarked opening the Hall of Hearts door and looking inside twenty minutes later.

"Yeah, we're just having bad days, but we'll be fine," Miracle spoke up, noticing Tenderheart pulling himself together before she turned to Brave Heart.

"Well then, let's go!" Brave Heart exclaimed, and with that, both Miracle and Tenderheart raced toward the cloud cars.

After giving directions to her parents, house Miracle, the Care Bears and the Care Bear Cousins started grabbing bags from the kitchen and the few boxes in the west wing that weren't used for storage and began to dismantle her bed, dresser and bookcases. After this was all finished, the boxes and boards were taken up to Care-A-Lot and Miracle's new house.

Miracle, the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins then started the same process on the kitchen, dining room, living room and music room. After four more hours, everyone then decided to move onto the west wing, where most of the old toys and furniture that hadn't been unpacked since the Smith's last move lay in storage.

Seeing the stuffed lavender Share Bear she had since she was five, Miracle scooped up the toy and hugged it.

"That toy must mean a lot to you," Tenderheart commented gently.

"You have no idea," Miracle sighed, giving the stuffed animal one last hug, then setting it aside to keep.

A new process began, with two piles in the now empty dining room, one for putting in the new house and the other for giving away to a charity. Because there were so many boxes of stuff to look through, this project took the most time. Once everything in the west wing was sorted into the keep and give away piles, everyone moved on to Miracle's parents bedroom, the easiest and yet hardest project of all.

Because most of Miracle's parents clothes didn't fit her, she decided to put them in the giveaway pile, keeping a few photos and some books that her parents used to read. 'Don't cry, don't cry, hold it in, you can cry later,' Miracle told herself repeatedly in a chant to prevent the tears gathering in her eyes from spilling over. Just when Miracle thought they'd never finish, the room was completely empty save for the Bears, Cousins and herself still standing in it.

Just as the sun was setting, the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins packed the last of the boxes in the trunk and back of the cloud cars, then took off for Care-A-Lot, with Miracle riding in the passenger side of Wish Bear's cloud car. Miracle watched Wish steer the car curiously, hoping that someday she'd be able to drive one. 'I already have a driver's license, so driving a cloud car shouldn't be all that different from driving a regular car,' Miracle reasoned as her stomach gave a growl of hunger. Miracle smiled in excitement, knowing she'd not only be going back to Care-A-Lot to eat dinner, but also to join the Care Bear family!

"I made desert for the newest member of the family, hehehehehe!" Playful Heart exclaimed, handing Miracle a tall glass of milkshake.

"A Peanut Butter Milkshake? Thanks!" Miracle exclaimed, her feelings buoyed by this generous offer as well as her anticipation in joining the Care Bear family.

"Everyone, may I have your attention please!" True Heart yelled from the front of the heart shaped table. The room quieted in seconds. Miracle was impressed that True Heart could command so much respect. Of course, True Heart WAS one of the founders of Care-A-Lot. But still, the fact that one person could quiet all of the Bears and Cousins instantly made Miracle admire the cream colored bear that much more.

"Tenderheart, will you go ahead?" Noble Heart Horse asked the auburn colored bear.

"Thank you Noble Heart. I now call this meeting to decide whether Miracle Smith will become a member of the Care Bear family," Tenderheart announced, raising his gavel.

Author's Note: Phew, I finally got this chapter written! More angsty goodness is on the way!


	7. Chapter 7: What's Happening to Me?

Chapter Seven

"What's Happening to Me?"

Author's Note: This chapter would just not leave me alone today! Kudos to anyone who can guess which 2002 movie inspired me to write this scene.

Edit: Written on January 24, 2013. I'm skipping the harder chapters write the easier ones first.

Warning: Thematic Elements are very graphic for a teen rated story. Please do not read if you are faint hearted or eating.

As Tenderheart slammed his gavel at the head of the table to decide the meeting of whether Miracle would be accepted into the Care Bear family, whether there would be a Welcoming Ceremony and the Celebration of the Welcoming Ceremony afterwards, Miracle felt movement in her large intestines. Miracle prayed that this wasn't what she thought it was. If so, hopefully she could make it to the bathroom on time once the meeting ended. If not…Miracle shivered at the shame she expected herself to feel.

Miracle considered running toward the bathroom right then and there, but thought better of it. Running toward the doors would only cause an interruption, the last thing she wanted during Tenderheart's speech. It would be politer to wait this out than to disrupt the entire meeting just to fulfill her urges.

Miracle could feel beads of perspiration begin to roll down her forehead and her new family members giving her disgusted looks as wet, juicy farts pooted out of her in five minute intervals at a time. Miracle slumped in her seat slightly in embarrassment. Why did her digestive system have to give her trouble now, during her first Hall of Hearts meeting of all times?

Miracle's stomach rumbled loudly and she crossed her arms over her large intestines, hunching over as she did so. Looks of surprise and disgust shot her way, again. Miracle felt her cheeks warm slightly at this and mumbled an apology that she knew no one heard. 'Me and my darn, soft spoken voice,' Miracle cursed to herself.

Unfortunately for Miracle, her body seemed to have a mind of its own. It rumbled again, sending out a few plaintive gurgles to go along with the rumble. The bears and cousins sitting in their seats shifted away from her and more disgusted looks shot her way as the wet, juicy toots turned to wet, raunchy farts.

Miracle tried to ignore the stink she was causing and felt the small heat spread from her cheeks to her face as those within smelling distance pinched their noses and waved their paws in front of their faces. This, to add to Miracle's embarrassment, were from those who sat at half of the heart shaped table on both sides that were closest to her.

Tenderheart paused, looking up from his notes around the table as Miranda slumped even lower in her heart shape backed and seated chair. Was that pity in Tenderheart's eyes? Miracle wondered with slight horror as he stared at her for a minute.

Glancing at True Heart and Noble Heart, Miracle's slight fear increased, then switched to guilt as she noticed both of them looking at her in concern. This was even worse than most of the table's disgust as those who knew Miracle for more than a few minutes and obviously cared about her now stared at her with combinations of pity and worry.

Miracle knew what it was like to be worried for a friend. It wasn't a comfortable feeling. That's why she hated seeing it in someone else's eyes. This was exactly the look both of the founders were giving Miracle as her intestines gave an especially loud, plaintive gurgle.

"It looks like someone needs to have their diaper changed," Tugs, the light blue colored cub, spoke loudly so that everyone in the Hall of Hearts could hear him.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Gram's elderly voice called out in obvious pity for a person Miracle's age to not make an adult decision. Miracle felt her whole face heat on top of her already hot feeling face and wished she could be anywhere but here.

Miracle could see from the top edge of the table that True Heart, Noble Heart and Tenderheart were coming around the table from the head of it to make sure she was alright; they'd stopped the meeting for her!

Miracle wondered how more embarrassing things could get as True Heart, Noble Heart and Tenderheart came toward her with worry, concern and pity in their eyes, when her intestines decided to make this the most embarrassing moment in her life. A rushing, scraping, urgent movement shot through Miracle's small intestines as she moaned with pain.

Miracle glanced quickly toward the bathroom doors, wondering if she could make it in time. Judging the distance, Miracle realized that she wouldn't be able to make it. She'd have to make due or risk having an accident where she sat.

There was a large trash can near the front doors, maybe she could make it over to there and sit on the trash can, making it a temporary toilet. Swinging the swiveling chair behind her, Miracle prepared to get up, then clutched her intestines with a gasp as the abdominal discomfort strengthened and pushed toward the opening of her bottom.

After standing up slowly, just as True Heart, Noble Heart and Tenderheart reached her seat, Miracle rushed over to the trashcan, turned around, pulled down her pants, and sat on the trashcan just in time. It felt like a waterfall was rushing out of Miracle in a rather painful way as she whimpered and felt a thick liquid join the harder feeling liquid coming out of her.

"I'm bleeding!" Miracle gasped in shock. She hadn't experienced bloody B.M.'s in a long time and even though they were sometimes slightly painful, they weren't like this! It was like Miracle was having a slightly harder form of diarrhea!

Miracle felt her face shake slightly, like how it felt when she'd open her mouth during a particularly bumpy car ride when she was a little kid. More feelings of a waterfall pouring out of her own body started as the rush of her own waste assaulted her again and again. Her body had never felt this urgent since she was about ten and even then it was never as continuous as this!

Miracle's whole family was staring at her with both pity and disgust as her feet jutted out in front of her. Miracle felt like her face was extremely close to a burning fire as she stared back at them with fear, horror, embarrassment and shame coursing through her at what they were all witnessing.

"What's happening to me?!" Miracle shakily moaned as yet another waterfall like feeling coursed through her and poured into the trashcan she was bracing herself against.


	8. Chapter 8: You Did WHAT!

Chapter Eight

"You _did_ WHAT?!"

The moment Miracle's body finally relaxed enough for her to feel the full shame of what had just happened to her, there was a stampede of animals as most of the Care Bears and all of the Care Bear Cousins rushed out of the Hall of Hearts, nearly smacking her in the face with the heart shaped doors as they ran to get away from her and the stench in the room.

"Miracle, are you alright, now?" True Heart asked in a concerned voice that felt like it ached with worry.

"I'm so sorry," Miracle gasped, feeling shame spread through her like an ominous gas. "I'm so, so sorry. I knew you all wanted this to be a special day for me, and now I've ruined it!" Miracle felt her eyes sting and blur with tears as she exclaimed this.

"Miracle, it wasn't your fault, sometimes these things just happen," True Heart replied in a comforting voice. Miracle nodded through her tears. It didn't stop her from feeling completely embarrassed, though.

"C'mon, let's get you cleaned up," True Heart encouraged, helping Miracle to stand up and step over the mess on the floor around their feet that spilled out of the trashcan. Miracle winced at True Heart's choice of words as well as the mess. It felt like True Heart was treating Miracle like a six year old who had accidentally wet herself when spending the night at someone's house for the first time. In some ways, though, that's exactly what happened.

"Has this ever happened to you before?" True Heart asked as they made their way to the women's bathroom near the back of the Hall of Hearts.

"Not for a long time," Miracle admitted, pushing the memories of accidentally urinating while sitting on the gym floor and having a feces accident when in the third grade classroom before she could even ask permission to use the bathroom. The already embarrassing situation had been made even worse when Miracle had to whisper her accident to the teacher while her arch enemy sat right beside her, knowing both of them didn't like her very much.

"I'm not surprised if you don't want me to join your family, now," Miracle remarked as both she and True Heart stepped into the women's bathroom.

"A lot of people your age have accidents, sometimes. None of the others will judge you for one mistake that you didn't purposefully cause," True Heart placed a warm paw on Miracle's thigh as she said this. Miracle shifted so that True Heart couldn't touch her thigh anymore. She knew True Heart meant for her gesture to be comforting, but it felt weird to have a female touching a romantically, private area, even if the female _was_ a Care Bear.

A memory of the school nurse saying something very similar to Miracle on one of the days of her accidents resurfaced. Miracle remembered still feeling embarrassed at not having more control of her body, because she was a ten year old, an age more than capable to hold in her urges until she could reach a bathroom stall.

True Heart looked up at Miracle, slight hurt shining through her dark eyes. In all truth, this was more embarrassing because Miracle was now much older than ten. Even worse, she had probably just hurt True Heart's feelings. Miracle bent down so that both were looking at each other eye to eye.

Another memory, this one of her last boyfriend a couple of weeks ago resurfaced, when he touched her lower back. Miracle squirmed slightly as she remembered feeling so vulnerable, so dirty, with just that one touch. Miracle had then wondered if something was wrong with her, after all this was considered a romantic gesture, at least according to the movies and TV shows.

"Miracle?" True Heart asked, worry filling both her face and eyes again.

"I'm alright," Miracle lied, pushing the memories to the back of her mind. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

"It's alright, Miracle," True Heart replied, some of the worry receding from her eyes and voice at Miracle's apology.

"What size are you? I can make some clothes for you by using my tummy symbol," True Heart encouraged, changing the subject.

After telling True Heart her size, Miracle took the brightly colored underwear and tennis shoes as well as the skinny jeans, cleaned up as best she could and changed. Feeling much better a few minutes later, Miracle picked up her now soiled clothes and opened the stall door.

True Heart stood in front of her with a plastic sack, which Miracle put her dirty clothes into with a sigh of relief, tied the handles of the bag, washed her hands, and waited for the founder to catch up.

As Miracle and True Heart stepped out of the women's bathroom, Brave Heart Lion and Playful Heart Monkey faced them, Brave Heart with a scowl on his face and Proud Heart looking very sheepish. Miracle immediately wondered if Brave Heart somehow knew about the time she froze in fear instead of saving one of her best friend's, then reasoned that Care Bear Cousins couldn't read minds.

"Playful Heart has something to say to you, Miracle," Brave Heart announced, nudging Playful Heart and frowning at him.

"Oh?" Miracle asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry for putting half of the Colon Blow in the milkshake I gave you, I didn't mean to embarrass you, I just wanted to pull a prank on you to make you more part of the family," Playful Heart explained, shuffling his feet and barely looking Miracle in the eye out of his own guilt and embarrassment.

Miracle stared at Playful Heart in shock. Of course, she'd heard of Playful Heart's love of practical jokes from watching the Care Bear Family TV show when she was a kid, but for him to take it this far?

"Can you forgive me?" Playful Heart asked, hopefully, but Miracle barely heard him as she realized the monkey was the cause of the most embarrassing day of her life. For the fourth time in her life, Miracle didn't have any control of her actions, letting rage consume her.

"You _did_ WHAT?!" Miracle roared, the memories of what she'd just experienced a few minutes ago replaying in her mind for a few seconds as well as her feelings from losing her family and friends earlier that day. Miracle didn't hear Playful Heart's stammered reply. Grabbing the monkey, Miracle slammed him against the wall, pinning him to it by the very shoulders she used to pick him up with.

Feeling more rage rush through her veins, Miracle slammed Playful Heart's body against the wall again and again, making his irises spin in circles, much to her own amusement. The rage increased as Miracle dimly noticed a red liquid beginning to flow from the back of Playful Heart's head.

"Miracle, stop! Your hurting him!" a warm but firm voice yelled. As Miracle's rage began to subside, she realized the red liquid coming from the back of Playful Heart's head was his own blood! Miracle immediately dropped the monkey as ice cold horror gripped her heart in realization of what she'd just done.

"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry, oh gosh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you, I just felt so angry at your prank and my family and friends just died and, and, and," Miracle tried to continue, but felt her throat constrict from the urge to cry. Miracle concentrated on reigning in her tears this time though, she'd already embarrassed herself enough for one day.

"I think it's best if we wait for you to join our family, Miracle," Noble Heart spoke in his slightly, quiet, raspy, firm voice. Miracle nodded mutely, struggling to keep the tears in her eyes from spilling over.

"Do you know your way home?" Noble Heart asked. Miracle again nodded, not looking anyone in the face, fearing what she'd find in their eyes.

It wasn't until Miracle was outside the Hall of Hearts that she allowed the tears to stream down her face. Miracle felt her heart plummet to her feet in disappointment for losing self control like that. Miracle hardly ever got mad, but when she did, she always secretly worried about what words or actions would come out in her own anger. This proved Miracle's worry that maybe she didn't deserve to be part of the Care Bear family. With her own family killed and this one not willing to accept her, Miracle didn't belong anywhere.


	9. Chapter 9: Drowning in Depression

Chapter Nine

Drowning in Depression

Miracle trudged toward her new home, then turned to the edges of the clouds that kept the Kingdom of Caring afloat. A sinking, drowning feeling overtook her insides. Now that she was a considered a nobody, Miracle wondered if anyone would miss her if she died or if they'd be relieved that such a violent young woman with an anguish filled past and present weren't around for them to put up with anymore.

Miracle noticed a dark blue bear sitting under a raincloud. Trudging over to him, Miracle spoke up, hesitantly.

"Hi," Miracle began, her voice cracking slightly from crying just a few seconds ago.

"Hump!" the indigo colored bear replied.

"Mind if I sit here?" Miracle asked, prepared to leave the bear alone if he needed it.

"Sit wherever you like. I suppose you've come to cheer me up too?" the indigo bear asked grumpily.

"No," Miracle admitted, shaking her head.

"You're not?" the indigo bear gasped.

"No, I don't think anyone around here wants me."

"I'm sure that's not true," the indigo bear encouraged.

"Yes it is all because I couldn't keep my anger to myself, again."

"Everyone gets angry, especially me. I'm sure whoever you were angry with will forgive you if you ask them."

Miracle highly doubted this, remembering the looks on the founders and leaders faces, but decided to change the subject. "What's your name?"

"My name's Grumpy, what's yours?"

"Miracle."

"Hump! Strange name for a young woman," Grumpy commented.

"Tell me about it," Miracle muttered. For now, the sinking, drowning feeling was disappearing as she sat with Grumpy, sometimes talking with him, sometimes both in silence. Before Miracle knew it, the sun was setting, painting the sky beautiful colors of gold and pink and purple.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Miracle asked quietly.

"Yep. I'd better get on home," Grumpy announced, standing up from his spot and walking toward his house.

"Yeah, me too," Miracle replied, not moving from hers. As Grumpy headed toward his house, the sinking, drowning feeling returned.

'You'll never be a Care Bear, you'll never be accepted in the human world, either. You'll never belong anywhere. You'll be a nobody, left alone for the rest of your life,' a voice inside Miracle's head hissed menacingly.

"No, not again, please, go away, leave me alone," Miracle begged, feeling fear begin to freeze the middle of her heart.

'Leave you alone? I'm part of you; you can't make a part of you go away. I'll always be with you, forever. You only think you've gotten rid of me. I'll always return. Just when you think you're completely well, I'll return. And I'll take over you, just like last time. Only this time, I'll make sure you can't fight me. This time, I'll make it permanent,' the voice continued in a menacing voice that sounded to Miracle just like her own.

"Please don't do that; please don't become permanent, please, _please_, **please**!" Miracle begged as she felt herself slip through a wet spot in the cloud where rain was forming, curl up, and spent a wet, cold night in a large puddle of water.


End file.
